Projectile for small arms



Nov. 24, 1931. o. RINKEL PROJECTILE FOR SMALL ARMS Filed sept. 2o, lezfl atented Nev, 24, 1931 STATES OTTO RINKEL, QF KARLSRUHE, GERMANY PROJECTILE IOR SMALL ARMS Application led September 20, 1927, Serial No. 220,767, and in Germany November 20, 1926.

My invention pertains to projectiles and more particularly to those which comprise a metallic casing or jacket and a metallic core or filler and which are adapted for use in small arms employed for hunting and shooting purposes and especially where a projectile is required or desired which will have a great velocity and steadiness in its flight through the atmosphere.

It is a known fact that the shock effect and the killing effect of a bullet depend to a high degree upon the deformation the bullet undergoes upon impact in the body of the game the more so when the projectile is of a very small calibre or diameter. The deformation of the bullet, however, is not influenced only by the quality or character of the struck place but still more by the velocity of the bullet at the hitting moment or speed of penetration. Such infiuences or conditions vary in the many possible cases and the projectiles as hitherto constructed are objectionable for the reason that they are not capable of ensuring the desired results in any and all cases.

Bullets as hitherto employed are defective inasmuch as the deformation they undergo upon impact is eXcessive so that they splinter and burst up to minute pieces without fully piercing the body of the game. Consequently there is sometimes no hole where the bullet left the body and no blo-od of the wounded game drops so that a scent cannot be followed. On the other hand bullets of less liability to deformation upon impact sometimes go clean through the body of the game without producing the shock and killing effect necessary to bring the game down to the ground.

It will be seen, therefore, that in order to always obtain a satisfactory result, a projectile must be so constructed as to ensure, at all events,- a shock and killing effect to bring the game down to the ground at once or shortly after the shot has been fired, and to go through the body of the game so that blood is thrown out and a scent can be followed.

I am aware that, for the above stated reasons or to overcome those defects, it has been 5 suggested heretofore to insert a core of hard metal into the deformable lead body encased in a sleeve or jacket of copper, brass, Ger man silver or the like, but it has beenfound that bullets thus made of more than two parts or constituents arevtco expensive without ensuring the result aimed at in a satisfactory manner.

Now, the obj ect of my invention is to pro-v vide a projectile for game shooting purposes constructed in a new way which will remedy the stated defects, and comprising two parts, only, that is, a metallic casing or jacket and an inner metallic core, preferably of lead or a lead alloy. With this object in View I shape the base portion of the jacket to form a body which will maintain its shape substantially unaltered upon impact and while penetrating into and through the body of the game, and which constitutes or affords a solid mass of sufficient volume and weight to-go clean through and leave the body of the game even if the other constituent parts of the bullet have splintered and burst up into minute particles within the body of the game.

It will be seen that a projectile constructed according to this principle will ensure or realize the eect aimed at in a very simple manner, inasmuch as the front portion of the projectile, that is the point, the enclosed lead core, the material and the thickness of the jacket are so qualified and'dimensioned as to allow of deformation upon impact andensure a reliable shock and killing effect, while at the same time the ponderous solid base portion of the jacket with the residual lead therein is of sufficient weight yto go clean through the body of the game and produce a bleeding opening at the rear side thereof. The front end or point of the projectile obviously may be of any desired or preferred shape and construction such as of lead projecting from the core, hollow or encased or provided kwith a solid or hollow insert and the like.

With the above recited object in view, reference is had to the following specification and drawings in which there are exhibited three examples or` embodiments of the invention which are in no way, however, intended as a limitation upon the scope of lthe appended claim as it is to be clearly understood that variations and modifications which properly fall within the true scope of said claim may be resorted to when found expedient.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and wherein like characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a bullet constructed according to the present inj vention;

Figure 2 is a similar view of a modification and Figure 3 is a like sectional view of another modification.

Referring to Figure -1 the bullet comprises a casing or jacket l made of copper, German silver, nickel, brass or any other suitable alloy or metal, and a solid core or filling 2 enclosed in the jacket and consist-ing of lead, a lead alloy or any other appropriate heavy metalror alloy. The base portion 3 of the jacket 1 is enlarged in axial direction or thickened to form a heavy solid body or socket of a diameter which preferably is somewhat less than that of the main portion or shell of the jacket for the purpose of reducing or fully doing away with the compression in the bore of the rifle.

In the modification shown in Figure 2 the base portion 3 of the jacket is likewise enf larged but shaped to form a pocket 4 in which,

after the destruction or deformation of the shell or front end of the projectile upon impact, a residual mass or body of lead will remain and act to increase the percussive power of the base portion for the purpose above indicated. Further in this embodiment the base portion of the jacket is given a somewhat conical shape similar to that of the known torpedo-bullets so as to be prevented from any excessive compression during its passage through the bore of the rifle.

The projectile illustrated in Figure 3 is similar to the embodiment shown in Figure l as regards the cylindrical shape of the base portion 3 and similar to the modication shown in Figure 2 respecting the pocket 4.

In the embodiments shown the diameter of the rearwardly extending solid base portion is somewhat less than the diameter of the main portion or shell of the jacket, but I wish it to be understood that the base portion 3 of the projectile may be shaped to possess the same diameter as the shell or may be given-any other desired or preferred configuration, and that the dimensions thereof with relation to the other portions of the projectile may be varied and adapted in many ways, according to the requirements desired or most suitable under different circumstances, the salient feature of the present invention rethe lead enclosed in its pocket, a solid metallic mass of considerable weight and rigidity adapted to withstand destruction upon impact on the body of the game so as to form, after the destruction of the front portion of the projectile, a kind of a reduced bullet which will go clean through the body of the ame.

What I claim is A mushrooming bullet comprising a jacket having a thickened cup-shaped base portion extending longitudinally for substantially two-fifths of the'length of the jacket, the diameter of the hollow portion of the cup being not more than substantially one-third of the diameter of the bullet, and a filling for said jacket, enabling the base portion of the bullet to remain unaltered during penetration.

In testimony whereof I affixed my signature.

OTTO RIN KEL.

siding only in the enlarged or thickened base portion ofthe jacket constituting either in itself, that 1s alone, or in co-operation with 

